AGR Assists Emperor Energy with Preps for Judith Well Drilling (Australia)

AGR’s Well Management division has secured a new contract, of an undisclosed value, with Emperor Energy on its Judith-2 appraisal well off the coast of Victoria, Australia.

“AGR’s Well Management experts in Perth will progress the preparation and submission of necessary applications to the Australian National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to gain approval to drill the Judith-2 appraisal,” AGR said.

The well is planned for the Judith gas field located in permit Vic/P47 in the Gippsland Basin, 40km offshore from the Orbost gas plant. Emperor holds 100% in the permit.

AGR’s initial work scope will include preparation of an Environment Plan for drilling the Judith-2 appraisal well, preparation of an Environment Plan for geological and geophysical testing of the Judith-2 wellsite to accommodate a jack-up drill rig, and completion of the necessary engineering and environmental studies to facilitate the environmental plans. It will also include overall project management and engineering to further progress the basis of design of the drilling programme.

Once the necessary regulatory approvals are in place, AGR will provide final well design, procurement, contracting and drilling operational services for the Judith-2 well.

AGR said that the contract award followed Emperor’s “very positive” results achieved from new 3D seismic across the field and Amplitude Versus Offset (AVO) analysis indicating the presence of gas conforming to structural closure in the primary objective Judith and Longtom reservoir sands. An additional play has also been identified from AVO analysis in Kipper and Golden Beach sands (tied back to the nearby Kipper-1 well), with the potential for an updip extension into Vic/P47 of the producing Kipper Gas Field.

The proposed Judith-2 appraisal well will test the primary Judith and Longtom sands as well as test the new Kipper and Golden Beach sand play, when drilled in 2023.